Bling bling at Karen Walker's show

By FIONA HAWTIN

The fashion set came to see the clothes. What they got was an eyeful of bling.

Karen Walker's first appearance at the third L'Oreal New Zealand Fashion Week was the finale in four days of designer shows last night.

At the cavernous York Street Recording Studios in Parnell, expectant guests milled around anticipating how the designer would wow them. She is well-known for thrilling media with her concept shows at previous Australian Fashion Weeks and in off-schedule shows during London Fashion Week.

When the velvet curtains parted, it was obvious the clothes from Queenie was a Dog weren't the real reason for her decision to take part in this year's event.

Nine models lazed around, talking and drinking champagne on a giant revolving lazy Susan. There was some attempt at costume changes and the clothes did look clever - a mix of Little-Orphan-Annie-at-the-carnival sweetness and evil Miss Hannigan - when one remembered to pay them some heed.

When she showed the northern hemisphere a version of Queenie Was a Dog, the media went crazy.

"Yet again Karen Walker has designed a winning collection that quite honestly we can't wait to get our hands on," said i-D Magazine's fashion editor David Lamb.

But it was the glittering sideshow of very real jewellery that was the real reason for the gathering.

Inside the claw machines so familiar in amusement arcades and fairs was Karen Walker Jewellery and this was its world premiere. The machines were out of action so there was no chance of anyone slipping $2 into the slot and scoring the three-strand choker with pearl drop and diamond-encrusted skull and crossbones clasp with the price tag approaching $15,000.

Auckland-based jewellery-maker Worth & Douglas approached her earlier this year about a collaboration. Back then, she couldn't tell 27k gold from 9k.

"We thought jewellery hasn't really been fashionable in New Zealand since the 50s or 60s and in somewhere like New York or London it's never gone out because they have Cartier and Bulgari and all those companies that do the real stuff so it's always in fashion," said Walker. "But here, our girl's thinking shoes, bag, car, good job. Jewellery hasn't really been on her mind."

She has loved jewellery, particularly estate pieces, since she was a child.

The range of more than 30 baubles is priced from $500 to $15,000. There are pearls, charm bracelets, stacker rings, monogrammed rings, chunky ID bracelets, cocktail rings and classic pieces from previous Karen Walker collections.

This time they were made from gold, pearls, diamonds, blue topaz, garnets, smoky topaz and black diamonds, rather than their forebears' costume materials, like the wooden moon from her Dust collection.

The range will be available from Stewart Dawson, Partridges and Fifth Avenue in December.

This is not the delicate, pretty jewellery - the gold ring with tiny rubies - so often seen. It's braver than that. Although, Walker says, take the skull and crossbones clasp off the pearl choker, and you're left with a classic.

"It's a youthful, fashion product for the contemporary girl. You can wear your pearl necklace with a T-shirt or your diamond ring drinking coffee out of a polystyrene cup on the way to work. It's not about being precious."

Hoping they will be modern heirlooms for those who want to pass something down, Walker also wants women to buy it for themselves.

"I really wanted it to be for the girl who's not going to sit around and wait for some deadbeat husband to buy it. She's going to go, 'I'm just going to buy it for myself'."

Herald Feature: New Zealand Fashion Week

L'Oreal New Zealand Fashion Week official site